Banana Bread
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Say hello to your new favorite banana bread recipe! With its tender crumb, rich flavor, and irresistibly crisp crust, it’s simply the best!
Are you on the hunt for the perfect banana bread recipe? Look no further—this is the one! With a tender crumb and a crisp crust, it’s absolutely phenomenal fresh out of the oven and just as delicious toasted up for breakfast the next day. You might be surprised by an unexpected ingredient: lemon juice. While it doesn’t make the bread taste lemony, it actually enhances the banana flavor. The acidity also works with the baking soda to help the bread rise, giving it a beautiful golden color, toasty flavor, and light, fluffy texture.
My family loves this banana bread plain, but you can easily add nuts or chocolate chips if you like. And if you’re craving variety, I’ve got plenty of options, including marbled banana bread, chocolate banana bread, whole wheat banana bread, and chai-spiced banana bread. After all, you can never have too many banana bread recipes!
Table of Contents
“Best banana bread ever! And I have tried a lot of different recipes. I think the secret is the lemon juice!”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Bread
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the bread.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Act as leavening agents to help the banana bread rise and become fluffy.
- Butter: Adds richness, moisture, and flavor to the bread, and helps create a tender crumb.
- Sugar: Sweetens the bread and contributes to the golden-brown crust when baked.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, add structure, and contribute to the bread’s rise and fluffiness.
- Mashed very ripe bananas: The star ingredient that provides moisture, sweetness, and distinct banana flavor to the bread. For a really moist, banana-forward bread, use very ripe bananas. The bananas should at least be dark yellow with plenty of brown spots, and it’s okay if the skin has turned completely brown. (See the FAQs below for tips on how to speed up ripening.)
- Lemon juice: Enhances the banana flavor and reacts with the baking soda to aid in leavening and browning.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the banana bread, adding depth and warmth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Beat well after each addition.
Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that’s okay.
Add the dry ingredients.
Beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Banana bread should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. If properly stored, it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days. If you’re not planning to eat it within that time frame, freeze for longer storage. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil or freezer wrap, or place it in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. Crisp up individual slices in the toaster for a fresh-baked effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re in a hurry to ripen bananas for baking, there are a couple of methods you can try:
24-Hour Method: Place the bananas (still attached at the stem) in a loosely sealed brown paper bag and let them sit on the counter. Check them after 24 hours to see if they’ve ripened to your liking.
Quick Oven Ripening: If you need ripe bananas even faster, you can use your oven. Place the bananas, still in their peels, on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any leakage. Bake them at a low temperature of 250°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until they develop a deep brown color. This method helps break down the starches in the bananas quickly, resulting in a softer texture and sweeter flavor.
Absolutely! If you have overripe bananas and you’re not ready to bake, don’t let them go to waste. I typically freeze them in bags of 2 or 3, as mashed, they typically yield about 1 cup, which is what most banana recipes call for. Simply peel the bananas, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the bag and then mash.
Banana Bread Video Tutorial
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Banana Bread
Say hello to your new favorite banana bread recipe! With its tender crumb, rich flavor, and irresistibly crisp crust, it’s simply the best!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 large bananas
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5-inch metal loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that's okay.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 208
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 394 mg
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I had extra lemons and overripe bananas and was looking for a recipe where I could use both things. I followed one of your comments/suggestions and used enough ingredients for 1 and 1/2 times the recipe and made it in a bundt pan. We really didn’t taste the lemon, but my husband, son, and I all agreed it was the best banana bread (or bundt cake) I’ve ever made…and I’ve made lots of banana breads over the years. Thanks for the recipe!! 🙂
Following the complete instructions it came fabulous. I like that I can place it in the freezer.
Thanks Jenn for this recipe.
Well…..how good is it? My two year old granddaughter is snorting like a piggy and saying, “Bite, Bite!” It has the perfect sweetness and the banana flavor is not overwhelming. Crunchy outside and moist inside. Excellent!
Thank you, Jenn.
LOL — Glad it was a hit! 🙂
Thanks to this wonderful recipe, my first banana bread was a success! It was moist and crusted well. Just a minor issue I’ve noted was the slight metallic taste in some of the bites. Likely, this is baking soda. I do remember mixing it well into the dry ingredients. How could I prevent this in my future banana breads? Thank you!
Glad you liked this! Yes, I suspect the metallic taste was a result of the baking soda. If you feel confident you thoroughly combined the dry ingredients you may just be very sensitive to the taste. I’d suggest trying an aluminum-free brand of baking soda like Bob’s Red Mill or Rumford. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
This banana bread is a winner and definitely a keeper! Love the lemon juice addition, it adds a layer of flavor and smells heavenly. I used olive oil instead of butter to make it dairy free – came out great. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Jenn,
We made this delicious banana bread last week. It was great. Everyone enjoyed it at home.
Can you please tell me why it’s not soft in the middle? At the bottom of the bread and in the middle, it was hard otherwise it was perfect. Is it because I added too much butter? Thank you for your recipe.
That’s strange Raji – did you make any changes to the recipe? Any chance that it was underbaked?
Hi Jenn,
I baked it at 325F for about an hour. I have a convection Oven. It baked well. Thanks!
I have searched for several years after my Grandmother passed for a banana bread recipe with lemon juice that matched hers. Most people thought I was crazy when I said she added lemon juice. I will say that this was an easy to follow recipe and pretty much spot on from my grandmother’s recipe. Thank you for sharing ❤ my grandchildren will now be able to enjoy a delicious bread that I grew to love.
So glad you found what you were looking for – I hope it brings back great memories. ❤️
Have you ever substituted sugar for coconut sugar? Trying to be a little health conscious and I know coconut sugar does not rase your glycemic index like refined sugar. Also, I love your cookbook. I preordered before it was released. Good job!!! 🙂
Thank you
Thanks for your support with the cookbook – so glad you like it! 🙂 And I don’t have any experience with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it will impact the recipe – sorry!
I made it with refined sugar, enjoying a slice with my morning cup of tea 🙂 It’s a winner!!! I will let you know how it turns out when i make it with coconut sugar.
👍
Hi! All I have is bread flour and some really ripe bananas. Will it work for this recipe? Thanks much!
Hi Happy, Bread flour isn’t optimal here but in a pinch, it should work (just keep in mind that the texture of the bread won’t be as tender). The batter may be a little thicker; if it appears to be too thick, add 1 to 2 tsp. of water per cup of flour. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn! I used 1 1/2 cups of bread flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch. And 1 1/4 cups of mashed bananas. Unbelievably, the bread was tender and moist and tasted heavenly thank God! Your recipes are so awesome that even my lack of basic ingredients didn’t mess it up lol. Thanks much ❤️
So glad it came out nicely – thanks for reporting back! 🙂
Hi Jenn, I use bean flour instead of regular flour and add a 1/2 teaspoon of Xantghan gum.
Bet you can’t tell the difference!!
Hi Jenn, I don’t have a bread pan, do you think I can use a round-hole pan instead?
Thank you! Mapi.
Hi Mapi, I’m not familiar with a round-hole pan, but you can bake this in an 8-inch pyrex or square cake pan (bake time would be 35 min).
This is about perfect. The problem was saving enough for the next day to then fry in a pan with butter. Fried banana bread is so good. This version was lighter and fluffier than my own recipe. I guess I have a new one now. Made a load without walnuts for grandmama since she’s allergic and she wouldn’t share LOL.
Hi Jenn, I don’t have a 9×5 loaf pan. All I could find in stores were the aluminum 8×3.75. Nothing on Amazon Prime either. I read through all the reviews, and I see that one person used the smaller loaf pans and it was fine, but another person had the batter overflow. I also have a glass 8×8 pan. What do you think I should use, and should I change the temp & cooking time? I’m not a confident cook so I don’t want to put it all together and just guess…plus, if it doesn’t turn out, I’ll have some disappointed family members.
Thank you! I really enjoy your cookbook and getting your weekly emails. I’ve had great success with your blueberry muffins and baked ziti with sausage.
Hi Melinda, you can bake this in an 8 x 8-inch pan at 350°F for about 35 minutes. (And glad you like the recipes!) 🙂